As the Mad Max High Octane Collection arrives on Blu-ray December 6, including the much-anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road—Black & Chrome Edition (a black-and-white version of last year's six-time Oscar winning film Mad Max: Fury Road), we thought we'd take this opportunity to pull back the curtain on creator/director George Miller's groundbreaking franchise with some photos and videos covering the spectrum of the Mad Max films. But first, check out these videos about Mad Max: Fury Road—Black & Chrome Edition, featuring Miller discussing the new version and a clip that'll give you a taste of the look-and-feel he was after.
And with that, take a walk with us now as we journey through the images and video of George Miller's Mad Max universe.
Mad Max
Made for a paltry $400,000 (Aussie dollars) and with no star-power attached to it (this was only Mel Gibson's second film), Mad Max exploded at the box office raking in close to $100 MILLION around the world. For 20 years the film held the record as the most profitable film of all-time (before being surpassed by The Blair Witch Project).
Unknown actor Mel Gibson was only 21 years old when filming began for Mad Max at the end of 1977. Cars and other modes of transportation have been expendable throughout the cinematic history of Mad Max films.Didja know that when Mad Max was released in American theaters in 1980, the Aussie accents of the cast were actually overdubbed with American voice actors with much of the Australian colloquialisms replaced with stateside slang? The original dialogue was returned in the Blu-ray and DVD releases.Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky makes Hugh Keays-Byrne (as The Toecutter) listen to reason.The V8 Interceptor, also known as a Pursuit Special, is driven by Max Rockatansky at the end of Mad Max and for the first half of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. It is based on a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe.Mel Gibson as Max shows another side to Joanne Samuel as Jessie.With The Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) laid out, Max and Jim Goose (Steve Bisley) render assistance.
The second installment of the Mad Max series was simply Mad Max 2 or Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior around the world, but, in the States, Warner Bros. simply went with The Road Warrior at the time of its original theatrical release.
Director/writer George Miller with star Mel Gibson on the set of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior in 1981.Costume creations from designer Norma Moriceau—as modeled by a couple of marauders on the set—which mixes a bit of Jim Morrison leather with some Village People flair.Kjell Nilsson as gang leader The Humungus standing on a vehicle wearing the... um, interesting wardrobe by costume designer Norma Moriceau. The costumes have been labeled many things throughout the years, although we think "post-apocalyptic, punk, leather-fetish, biker" attire is pretty accurate.Emil Minty as The Feral Kid, catching a boomerang. Bruce Spence as The Gyro Captain, the unlikely leader of the settlers, pictured driving a bus with Arkie Whiteley as The Captain's Girl.Explosions and car crashes are in abundance throughout the Mad Max films, and director/creator George Miller was not above taking one for the team as he did during the making of the first film when he directed production to destroy his own van for one pivotal scene, as the movie's funds were getting low.Max and the Kid are facing attack from all angles including above with Vernon Wells as Wez jumping from the roof of the cab to the hood of the tanker.Director George Miller and Mel Gibson discuss a scene during the filming of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.Mad Max and The Feral Kid hang on for dear life as they come under attack while driving a tanker truck.The gang’s weasely Toadie (Max Phipps, pictured front center) antagonizes two victims (played by Max Fairchild and Tyler Coppin) as Kjell Nilsson (The Humungus) looks on from behind. You'd be hanging on for dear life too if this was happening outside the cab of your truck: Guy Norris as Bearclaw Mohawk hanging on the side of the tanker while Steve J. Spears as Mechanic looks on.
Taking place 15 years after the end of The Road Warrior (but only five years in real-life), Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome was another box office smash with Mel Gibson's Max clashing with an evil queen played by music legend Tina Turner in her first starring role.
Miller gives direction to star Tina Turner and cast on the set of 1985's Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.When you have cars and wars, you're gonna have a few spectacular collisions out in the desert, such as this one. Who says that cars can't fly?Life definitely doesn't get any easier for Mel Gibson's Max Rockatansky in the third installment of the Mad Max franchise. In fact, the going is tougher than ever.Tina Turner wasn't the only recording artist in the cast of Thunderdome as Aussie rocker/actor Angry Anderson played Ironbar Bassey, Aunty Entity's top-ranked henchman and head of Bartertown's security force, pictured here with a couple of Aunty's guards.Edwin Hodgeman is Dr. Dealgood, the flamboyant Master of Ceremonies at the death matches that take place in the steel-cage arena known as Thunderdome. Before his bout, the reluctant participant Max is told by Dr. Dealgood, "Thunderdome's simple. Get to the weapons, use them any way you can. I know you won't break the rules, because there aren't any."Fresh off her previous year's remarkable comeback album, Private Dancer, which sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, Tina Turner starred as the evil and sexy Aunty Entity. She also recorded this film's #2 hit single "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)," which received Grammy and Golden Globe nominations.Angelo Rossitto is The Master (pictured sitting atop The Blaster played by Paul Larsson), a power-crazed engineer responsible for Bartertown’s electricity. While protected by The Blaster, he vies for the power held by Aunty Entity.Mel Gibson as Mad Max is pictured in the Underworld—the location beneath Bartertown that acted as its power source—surrounded by its denizens.Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) confronts her captive The Master (Angelo Rossitto) as her guards look on.Within the confines of Thunderdome sometimes the only weapon you can find is...a chainsaw? When it's a battle to the death, you could do worse!Helen Buday as Savannah Nix is shown hanging onto a train car with “Little Ones” in the windows during their intended ride to freedom.Mel Gibson’s Mad Max is pictured on top of a train car pulling Angelo Rossitto (as The Master) out of the grasp of Tina Turner’s Aunty Entity.Moments later, in this beautiful shot, Max is pictured leaping across the train car with The Master in tow as Aunty Entity flails at her escaping prey.In the fashion trivia department, the steel mail dress worn by Tina Turner (pictured with Mel Gibson) is reported to have weighed more than 100 pounds. Inside Thunderdome, Max faces off with the helmeted Paul Larsson (The Blaster) fighting on tethers while the crowd looks on. The late critic Roger Ebert said of the memorable Thunderdome fight sequence, “The first really original movie idea about how to stage a fight since we got the first karate movies. One of the great creative action scenes in the movies.”
After 30 years, George Miller returned to the Mad Max universe with this global box office blockbuster that won six Academy Awards while being nominated for four others, including "Best Picture." Tom Hardy took the title role made famous by Mel Gibson and Charlize Theron brought an electrifying female hero into the mix as Imperator Furiosa.
At the premiere of Mad Max: Fury Road, director/writer/producer George Miller had Mad Max actors from the past (Mel Gibson) and present (Tom Hardy) in tow.Mad Max: Fury Road star Charlize Theron listens to Miller who was back in the saddle for the fourth installment in the Mad Max series.Actors and stunt personnel have no idea where they may end up when shooting a Mad Max film.Charlize Theron gives an emotionally charged performance as the warrior Imperator Furiosa. Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky is more than a little strapped in throughout the action-packed Mad Max: Fury Road.Producer/director/writer George Miller has a discussion on the set with Mad Max: Fury Road producer Doug Mitchell.Nicholas Hoult as Nux and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa brace themselves for maximum impact.The ominous landscape of George Miller's post-apocalyptic world is perfectly captured. This is definitely not your everyday road trip.
